at home with ann

You know how when you order take-out Chinese food and you get way more fortune cookies than the number of people in your party?  The highly sophisticated formula for food per person used by takeout Chinese restaurants is a mystery to me.  Since we always order enough for leftovers, it's ok  to get four cookies for two people.  A few weekends ago we ordered from a new-to-us place that turned out to have extremely generous portions.  Our order of two appetizers and three entrees (we like variety) came with seven fortune cookies.  Seven.  We ate the food for three meals, Jon even had some for extra breakfast and we still ended up throwing some away, along with five of those fortune cookies.  The shame of ordering nearly enough food for a football team prompted me to make a little healthy salad for us to detox on Monday. Wheat Berry Salad 1/2 cup dried wheat berries, steamed - I soak mine overnight, and then simmer in fresh water for about an hour...

When I was in college, we used to go to a dive Mexican restaurant to drink giant margaritas.  Along with those margaritas I would often order Arroz con Pollo.  I have to say, my memory of that dish might be a little hazy, but I think my version is way better.  And I'm not just saying that because due to some timing issues and a baby who needed a bath and to be put to bed, I didn't eat dinner last night until almost 9 and inhaled my bowl.  That is late for someone who is usually starving by 7. Also, I sometimes eat lunch at 11 in the morning and today it involved ants on a log.  I'm either 8 or 88.  But I digress. Arroz con Pollo inspired by Eat Live Run Serves 6 1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts , sliced in half lengthwise to form thin filets (you can use any cut of chicken here) Olive Oil 1-2 onions, chopped 1-2 green bell peppers, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 teaspoons cumin 1 teaspoon paprika 1/4 teaspoon saffron, crushed 1 bay leaf 1 1/2 ...

I've shared my version of red beans and rice with you before .  But that was almost a year ago, and I found a way to simplify it even further.  My crock pot (are you not supposed to say crock pot? Is that like kleenex and scotch tape?  I can't be bothered) has come in very handy in the past few weeks.  I don't know when I'll have time to cook during the day, but I can almost guarantee it won't be between 6-7 in the evening.  Around 11 in the morning my little guy is usually asleep in the sling, so I can carry him and work in the kitchen at the same time.  Perfect timing for setting up the crock pot.  Of course, you can do all the prep the night before or first thing in the morning if you're fancy and have a job that requires you to dry your hair and wear clothes not made out of yoga material.  Crock Pot Red Beans and Rice Serves 6 as a Main Course Ingredients: 1 cup uncooked brown rice 1 medium onion, chopped 1 bell pepper, chopped 2 stal...

This is another easy vegetarian dish.  I usually have the bulk of the ingredients (chickpeas, rice, canned tomatoes, spinach, onion) on hand, so it's a good option to keep in mind.  My completely sporadic posting schedule might make it hard to see, but I usually try to balance our eating for the week by offsetting any meat based or heavy dishes with lighter vegetarian fare.  Mediterranean Casserole 1 cup uncooked brown rice, steamed according to package directions 1/4-1/2 cup plain yogurt or sour cream Olive oil 1 onion, chopped 1-2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes salt and pepper 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes in juice 1 bag fresh spinach, or one box frozen spinach, thawed 8 oz. feta cheese, cubed or crumbled Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook brown rice according to package directions.  Stir in yogurt or sour cream and set aside. In a saute pan, heat olive oil o...

Loosely based on Healthy Tipping Point's Santa Fe Casserole, this is a basic rice and bean based combination plus a whole bunch of vegetables, and a topping of melted cheese.  I think it would also freeze well, just double wrap in foil after cooked and then reheat in a 350 oven.  Southwest Casserole 1 cup brown rice, cooked according to package directions canola oil 1 onion, chopped 1 large bell pepper, chopped 1 jalapeno, chopped 1 garlic clove, minced 1 tomato, diced 2 ears corn, kernels removed 1 15 oz. can red beans, drained and rinsed 2 eggs, beaten 3/4 cup milk 3/4-1 cup cheddar, shredded While rice cooks, heat oil over medium heat in a frying pan. Saute onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno for a few minutes until soft.  Add in the garlic for the last minute. In a large bowl, combine the cooked vegetables, rice, tomato, corn, and beans. Pour the eggs and milk over the top. Spread in a casserole dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle ...

I know you are all probably Mexican-fooded-out after yesterday (is that even possible?), but I'll share a few more ideas. At the recent request of one of my friends, I have been working on making queso dip that does not involve fluorescent, processed cheese.  Searching online led to a lot of dead ends with the dreaded velveeta, so I went with a very simple creamy cheese sauce with a kick. Easy  Queso Dip Ingredients: 4 oz. reduced fat cream cheese 1/4 cup milk 1/2 cup shredded cheese - I used a Mexican four cheese blend.  A cheddar jack mix would work as well. It's important to have some blend that includes an easy melting cheese, all cheddar will give it a grainy texture. 1/4 cup salsa - I used hot hot sauce, for topping In a saucepan over medium low heat, soften the cream cheese with a couple Tablespoons of milk. When mixture is melted and creamy, slowly add the cheese, stirring well. Add milk, one Tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency. Stir in...

Mardi Gras around here will not involve beads.  It will involve beans!  I am hysterical, I know. I also know that this is probably the furthest thing from authentic red beans and rice, so I apologize if anyone has ever had the real thing and is horribly offended by my interpretation. Totally Inauthentic Red Beans and Rice Ingredients: 1 cup uncooked brown rice 1 Tablespoon canola or olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 1 bell pepper, chopped 2 stalks celery, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 12 oz sausage (I used spicy mango and jalapeno chicken sausage) 2 cans red beans, drained and rinsed (I used small red beans, I think kidney are more authentic) 14 oz crushed or diced tomatoes 1 bay leaf creole seasoning (I didn't have anything like that, so I used a mixture of chili powder (~1 tsp) and cayenne (~1/4 tsp) Tabasco sauce (to taste) Start your rice cooking.  I do double the amount of water as rice and cook on low for 30 minutes. In a large pot, heat the oil...